Businesses are moving to the cloud in droves, but few are monitoring and protecting data in the cloud with the same vigilance they apply to their physical network environments. To keep mission-critical data and applications safe, businesses must avoid four big risks as they make the move.

Recently, I’ve seen articles that basically declare that cloud computing is such a normal part of our daily lives that everyone knows what it is, how it works, and the benefits it brings to individuals and organizations. And while that may be true for many, some people still don’t really understand cloud computing.

In many people’s minds, it’s an intangible, nebulous place – somewhere in the world – where their very critical, valuable, and sensitive information is stored. But is it secure? Who can access the data? If I want my data, can I download it? If I store my data in the cloud, is it still mine? How do I use my applications if I’m offline? Do I have a choice to place my data in the cloud? Why would I do that if what I currently have works just fine?